


band aid on a broken heart

by thatsabitgay



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Exy (All For The Game), Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Andrew Minyard Has Feelings, Best Friends, M/M, Neil Josten is a Mess, Protective Andrew Minyard, andrew has superpowers and keeps saving neil from being kidnapped BUT NEIL DOESNT KNOW ITS HIM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28140399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsabitgay/pseuds/thatsabitgay
Summary: Neil casually kicked one of the dead bodies' arms out of the way and grimaced when the act caused him to stain his sneakers with blood. "Aw, shit. These were new as well."Dagger glanced behind him at Neil from where he was crouched before another corpse. He was checking for a pulse, Neil presumed. "A tragedy. Quite possibly the worst thing that could have happened." His voice was as monotonous as ever.Neil hummed in agreement, before walking over to another body. He kicked that one too."Stop kicking the dead people." Dagger stood up, and although his face was hidden behind a mask, Neil could imagine that his expression was nothing short of exasperation."They kicked me first."
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 10
Kudos: 253





	band aid on a broken heart

Neil casually kicked one of the dead bodies' arms out of the way and grimaced when the act caused him to stain his sneakers with blood. "Aw, shit. These were new as well."

Dagger glanced behind him at Neil, from where he was crouched before another corpse. He was checking for a pulse, Neil presumed. "A tragedy. Quite possibly the worst thing that could have happened." His voice was as monotonous as ever.

Neil hummed in agreement, before walking over to another body. He kicked that one too.

"Stop kicking the dead people." Dagger stood up, and although his face was hidden behind a mask, Neil could imagine that his expression was nothing short of exasperation.

"They kicked me first. Anyway, what are we doing about the mess?" Neil questioned, gesturing at the three dead bodies, the broken handcuffs that had been keeping Neil tied to a set of pipes, and the large stains of blood that decorated the warehouse.

" _We_ are doing nothing. _You_ are leaving."

"Come on!" Neil whined, "You never let me help!"

"Because you're an idiot." Dagger hesitated before picking up one of the bodies with ease, despite him being smaller than even Neil and the body being huge. "Get lost."

"I think I already am," Neil commented. He walked over to one of the few windows and looked out into the darkness. "Where are we?"

"Twenty miles North from your apartment."

Neil hurried to follow the hero dressed in black as he carried the body outside and began to walk around the abandoned building. "You know where I live? Stalker much."

Dagger's head turned to face him as he spoke, "Just so you know, I'm glaring at you."

"Noted." Neil smirked. He briefly wondered, not for the first time, what Dagger looked like beneath his mask that not only covered his face, but his head as a whole. Like Spiderman. Or Deadpool.

They reached the back of the building that Neil now noticed was more of a barn than a warehouse. Still abandoned nonetheless. Dagger mercilessly dropped the body to the floor before spinning back around to retrieve the next.

"You still haven't left." He reminded Neil once the second body was over his shoulder.

"Unlike you, I can't just teleport wherever I want to."

"I can't teleport either." He pointed out. "I can just move so quick it seems that way."

Neil hummed in approval before grinning. "Race you!" He sprinted as fast as he could to the back of the barn, only to come face to face - or face to _mask_ \- with Dagger. Letting out an embarrassing screech, he fell backwards onto his butt.

"I won." Dagger spoke, apathetically, as he walked past Neil to collect the final body.

Neil scrambled to his feet and began wiping off the mud from his already ruined jeans. "Asshole," he muttered.

It took Dagger less than five minutes to dig a hole in the ground, using his superhuman strength and speed to his advantage. And the shovel, of course. Then, without a second thought, he dropped each body in. He turned to Neil. "Do you want to join them?"

Neil stepped closer to peer into the hole before looking back at Dagger. "Nah. Pass me the shovel."

Once again, Dagger ignored him, picking up the shovel himself and filling in the hole using his speed once again. Neil laughed at the light panting he heard as the super hero dug the shovel into the group before him, leaning against it to catch his breath.

Finally, the business was done and Neil was following Dagger until they reached a long road, leading to seemingly nowhere in both directions. That could just be because of the dark, though.

"Are you about to zoom off?" Neil asked, walking to the middle of the deserted road and sitting down. "Because if you are, is there any chance you could point me to which end of the road to follow?"

Whilst he was talking, Dagger had closed the distance between them, gripping Neil under his forearm and pulling him up to his feet. He spoke as he dragged him to the side of the road again. "Don't be stupid. I'll take you back."

Neil raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah? How?" He shook his head. "I'll just walk until I reach a non-deserted road. Then I'll hitch-hike if I need to."

Dagger stared blankly at him. Or at least that's what Neil thought he was doing but again, he was wearing a fully covering mask. Then, without a word, he turned around. "Get on."

"Get on?"

"Get on my back."

"Why?"

"So I can carry you."

"Are you about to zoom?"

"I'd prefer it if you wouldn't call it that."

"Why?" Neil asked, genuinely curious.

"Because...it's not very...cool." Dagger said, lamely.

"Wow, I'm sorry." He replied, sarcastically, letting out a laugh. Then he moved forward and placed his hands on Dagger's shoulders. "Is this okay?"

Dagger hesitated before answering, with slight exasperation (which was surprising for the usual apathetic voice). "Yes, just jump on." 

The voice tugged something in Neil's memory, but he ignored it, instead jumping as high as he could (using his shoulders as momentum) and hooking his legs around Dagger's waist. Dagger's arms immediately clung onto him.

"Ready?"

Neil grinned, holding on tighter. "Ready."

\--

Unceremoniously, Dagger dropped Neil to the floor once they'd reached a busy street - even at this time of night - about a ten minute walk from the apartment at human speed (or more like, at _Neil_ speed). Then, before Neil could say anything more, Dagger 'zoomed' ahead to the apartment.

It was with practice that Dagger easily stripped from his costume, showered, dressed in sweatpants and a plain, white t-shirt, hid his costume and lay across the sofa, switching the TV to a random channel, all before Neil opened the door and entered the apartment.

"Hey," Neil casually called, drifting past the living room to go to his bedroom.

Andrew rolled his eyes at the nonchalance. "That was a long run." He said, remembering last minute to switch from his monotonous, apathetic 'Dagger' voice to his slightly more emotive, not as deep 'Andrew' voice.

"Yeah, well," There was noise from Neil's bedroom as he was probably changing, his door seemingly left open. It took effort to keep his eyes focused on the television. "I got kidnapped."

Andrew let out an exasperated sigh. "Again?" At the sound of a door closing, he looked over his shoulder at Neil. He was wearing sweatpants too, but a hoodie over- oh. It was Andrew's hoodie. He grimaced internally at the appealing sight. Andrew moved his legs up just in time for Neil to collapse on that end of the sofa.

"Yep. Why are you watching the Lego movie?"

"Are you hurt?" Andrew asked. Unless there were any obvious fatal or life-threatening injuries, Dagger always left this part to Andrew. 

Neil shrugged, "I'm fine."

"Liar."

Neil rolled his eyes, "My wrists are sore from when they handcuffed me in the car. And my abdomen is a little sore from the kicks. But Dagger killed them all before anything too bad happened."

"As usual." Andrew commented.

"I had it under control, though."

Andrew let out a snort of a laugh before poking Neil's thigh with his foot. "Let me see."

Neil let out a huff but complied, pulling his hoodie (Andrew's hoodie) up over his head. Andrew ignored all the old scars, focusing on the redness and the beginning of purple. He sat up and shuffled forward, reaching out a hand and pressing it against where his ribs are. Neil sucked in a shaky breath.

"Can you breathe okay?"

"Fine. I mean, yeah."

Once Andrew was content that there wasn't any serious damage, he took Neil's forearm, examining his wrists.

"It's just cuts. They'll probably scar for a while but they don't even hurt."

Andrew lightly pressed his thumb near the scarred tissue and asked sarcastically, following Neil's wince. "Are you sure?"

"Asshole."

Andrew let him go completely and shuffled back to his side of the couch. "Aaron will come check your ribs tomorrow."

Neil didn't argue because he knew it was pointless and besides, it was better than going to the hospital. Instead he asked Andrew, "Yes, or no?"

"Yes," Andrew immediately replied, shuffling his back against the arm of the chair and crossing his legs as Neil turned and manoeuvred himself so that he was lay across the sofa, head in Andrew's lap. "Wait," he spoke, "Did you bang your head at all?"

Neil frowned up at him, "I don't think so? It doesn't hurt anywhere and I don't have a headache. Probably not."

Neil was clearly tired, but Andrew didn't want to risk him falling asleep and never waking up. Neil seemed to notice his internal battle because he smiled and poked him right between his eyebrows.

"Stop worrying. Put Frozen on and I'll stay awake for the entire film."

Andrew glared, but granted his wish. He would never forgive Nicky for introducing Neil to Disney shortly after they met.

Nicky met Neil the same day that Andrew did. It was a year and a half ago when Andrew was in his third year of college at Palmetto, Neil in his second. Kevin, Andrew's roommate for the two previous years, had decided to get his own place that year with his girlfriend, Thea, meaning that Andrew would have to suffer a new roommate if he was to remain in Halls. He didn't have enough money to rent an apartment on his own (the only two people he'd tolerate living with, besides Kevin, were Nicky and Aaron. Aaron had already been living with his cheerleader for a year and Nicky was finally at a point where he could move back to Germany), and so it was his only choice.

Neil had barely spoken to him for the first three weeks. That didn't stop Andrew from becoming intrigued - and attracted - by him. Maybe it was the glimpse he'd gotten of the boy's scars one morning when he was changing, thinking Andrew was asleep. Maybe it was the way he scanned all exits before entering a room. Maybe it was the intense blue eyes, auburn curls and defined cheekbones. 

It was when Andrew had a nightmare that Neil had first spoken more than two words to him. They sat up until daylight began to peek through the curtains, trading truths. With their joint insomnia, it was only another week before they had each other's entire life stories.

Andrew knew that Neil's father was a serial killer, who had dangerous ties to the Japanese Mafia (which Andrew knew partly about already, due to Kevin Day's own issues involving the yakuza). He knew that Neil's mother had died a painful death two years before. He knew that Neil was still running away from trouble, and that Palmetto was the first place he'd stayed for a long period of time. That after his first year in the college, where he'd made friends with his roommate, Allison Reynolds, and her group, he couldn't cut them loose that easily. He knew that Neil Josten wasn't his real name.

Neil knew that Andrew's mother had given him up but kept Aaron. He knew about all of the abuse he went through during his journey through multiple foster homes. He knew about how Andrew met Aaron only four years ago, and how he had put a stop to his mother's violence. That he'd forced Aaron through his withdrawal.

The only thing Neil didn't know about was the powers.

Eighteen months later and they're both living off-campus together. Neil is the only person that Andrew lets touch him and Andrew is the only person that Neil fully trusts. Eighteen months later and Andrew feels a lot more than _attraction_ for Neil. Eighteen months later and Andrew's alter-ego, 'Dagger', has anonymously saved Neil from sixteen different attacks (some not even from his father's or the Moriyama's men - Neil just really attracts trouble). 

Yet Neil still doesnt know about Andrew's powers.

Nobody knows where Andrew's powers came from. All Andrew knows himself is that they slowly began to surface, one ability after another, ever since the car crash he survived. Of course, on the odd occasion that Andrew uses his powers 'for the greater good', the media surges up its own speculations. They also bring up theories as to why Dagger doesn't show up to put an end to more crimes.

The answer is simple - Andrew doesn't want to be a superhero. He never asked for this. So sure, if there's a bank robbery with armed men and twenty hostages, he'll step in and help out the pigs. But most of the time he leaves it to the 'professionals'. 

Apart from when it comes to protecting his own.

Andrew looked down at the taller boy, lay still upon his legs. His eyes had drifted closed, eyelashes over faint freckles. Andrew watched him for a few seconds, fixing the image to his memory before poking his cheek. 

His eyes blinked open, focusing on Andrew's own for a long minute before he looked back at the TV just in time for Olaf to break into his solo. "He reminds me of Nicky," Neil smiled, quietly. It's a miracle that Andrew heard him. Literally. He had to use his super-hearing.

Andrew didn't reply, instead moving one of his hands to Neil's curls, gently combing it through.

"If you carry on that," Neil said through a sigh, "I might actually fall asleep."

It wasn't a no, so Andrew continued, knowing that Neil would explicitly tell him if he wanted him to stop.

Kudos to Neil, because he managed to last ten minutes to the end of the movie before he eventually fell back to sleep. This time Andrew left him, subduing to the fact that, once again, Andrew would have to carry the disaster to bed.

It was no longer as surprising to him that he didn't particularly mind.

\--

"Uh oh," Allison remarked as Neil collapsed into the seat in between her and Matt in the lecture hall. "You're late. And why are you so tense? Are you in pain?"

Neil shrugged, before whispering back, "I'm fine. I just got kidnapped."

"Oh, is that all?" Allison rolled her eyes as Matt spun to face him, uttering a panicked 'WHAT?!'.

After assuring Matt that Neil was in fact fine, he was ready to just get on with the lesson. Of course, Allison had other ideas.

"I'm guessing your superhero boyfriend turned up again." She smirked.

Neil found it was better to ignore the boyfriend remark. "Dagger took them all out and buried them." He nodded.

Matt looked conflicted about the whole 'buried them' part whilst Allison hummed in approval. Matt went back to focusing on the lecture, whilst Allison's eyes remained on Neil with a calculating gaze.

"What?" Neil sighed.

"Just...I wonder if Dagger really _is_ gay and in love with you." She shrugged.

Neil shot her a blank stare.

"I've thought that too!" Matt enthusiastically joined in. "I mean, he rarely helps anyone else!"

"Exactly!" Allison grinned, "He turned up at the bank robbery a while back, you know that one that Kevin was one of the hostages in?"

"Oh _that_ bank robbery." Neil sarcastically put in, but was ignored as his friends spoke over him. Literally, since they were both much taller than him.

"Yeah, and he randomly turned up that time those homophobic dicks were attacking Nicky outside Eden's!" Matt inputted.

"Yeah! But other than that I've not heard him turn up to anything not involving Neil. Have you?" She directed the last part at both of them, earning a 'no' from each. "Those other incidents could have just been coincidences. He happened to be there and thought that he might as well help out. But he's saved you loads of times!"

"It's like he's keeping an eye on you," Matt nodded, enthusiastically.

"Always being ready to save your cute, sorry ass."

A student sat a few rows forward turned around to shush them. Neil waited until she was facing the front again before speaking in a hushed tone. "Sorry ass? I'll have you know that I'm usually handling the situation just fine."

"Pfft," Allison scoffed, and this time Neil shushed her. "I'm just saying...maybe you know him in real life."

Neil frowned. "I have a total of about five friends."

"Maybe it's one of them! Maybe it's Matt!"

"I wish," Matt muttered.

She flipped a page in her notebook and scribbled out all the names, starting with herself. "I'll figure it out for you." She crossed out her own name.

Neil rolled his eyes, but was distracted from what he was going to say by a buzz from his pocket. "Do what you want," he muttered before pulling it out.

He made sure that both Matt and Allison's attention had diverted from him before opening the text.

He'd expected it to be this message. But that didn't stop the flush of anxiety that overwhelmed him.

**Private Number - 10**

\--

It's unusual for Neil to be kidnapped twice in the same week but Neil is well-aware that his entire life is unusual and so doesn't bother questioning it.

He's in the small trunk of a car that is going well over the speed-limit. They didn't bother tying him up and there isn't even anything over his head this time, making it easy for him to open up his phone and send a text, when he belatedly realised (half an hour into the drive) that they hadn't bothered taking that from him either.

**Neil - can u ask ur brother to take notes for me in bio**

It was barely a minute before Andrew's reply came.

**Drew - why**

**Neil - cuz im unable to get to lesson**

**Drew - why**

Neil let out a sigh.

**Neil - im in the trunk of a car**

**Drew - why the fuck didnt you start with that**

**Neil - its not like theres anything u can do. its been at least 30 mins since they started driving**.

**Drew - did they knock you out**

**Neil - no they didn't, i just only thought about using my phone**

**Drew - idiot**

**Drew - who is they**

**Neil - i didnt recognise them so probably no one too dangerous they werent my fathers men at least**

**Drew - youve been gone a long time. maybe he got new men**

**Neil - even if he did tho theyre not planning to kill me for a few more days yet**

Suddenly the display disappeared, and Neil realised that it must have ran out of battery, which isn't surprising since he rarely charges it, but still just as nerve-wracking.

He didn't have long to panic, however, because soon the trunk opened and just as quickly, a towel was held over his face. Alarmed, Neil kicked at the person, unable to see them with the towel partly covering his eyes and unable to hear them over his panic. And soon, unable to fight them as his vision grew dark.

\--

When Neil woke up, his mind was in a haze and it took a while for his memory to catch him up with what had happened. There was a bright light in his eyes, forcing him to squeeze them shut again.

"Wake up." A voice demanded, but it didn't strike fear in him.

Neil reached out an arm in the direction of the voice and slurred, "Drew?"

A hand gripped his wrist, pushing it away but keeping hold of it. "No."

He opened his eyes, despite his mind's protests. He realised now that the light was the sun and the voice belonged to Dagger, who was knelt beside him, expression unknown behind the mask. He was still holding Neil's wrist firmly in his hand and it was enough to ground him. "What happened?"

"You don't know." Dagger asked, voice as monotonous as ever.

"No...I...I remember being in the trunk. I think they drugged me."

"You didn't mention that."

"What?" Neil frowned, nothing making sense as the drug's effects wore on.

"Nothing." Dagger replied, before answering his initial question. "They brought you out to this random forest, about forty miles from your apartment. They didn't even abandon you far in the forest. You're near the edge and there's a small town just five minutes away. Seems like they've taken your phone and any money you had on you. Are you hurt?"

Dagger never usually asked that, Neil noted, and realised that Dagger must have been just as confused as him. He tried to calculate his pain to find that there was none, apart from the lingering aching and buzzing in his head.

"Neil." Dagger spoke, when Neil was yet to reply.

"My head. I think just from the drugs." His didn't voice sound like his own. It sounded detached and distant. 

There was silence for a few moments before Dagger spoke again. "I'm going to help you stand."

"Okay," said Neil and pushed himself up, feeling numb all over. Dagger wrapped an arm around his back and gripped his shoulder. The hand that was still holding onto his wrist slipped up to his forearm, so he could pull him up.

When Dagger let him go, Neil found that he was able to stand on his own but his legs still felt weak and wobbly. 

"Can you-" Neil began before deciding better and cutting himself off.

"Spit it out."

Neil swallowed. "I feel like I'm going to collapse."

"I'll carry you. I'm going to go quickly anyway."

For once, Neil didn't leave any funny remark or argue about being carried. Instead he just silently nodded and waited for Dagger to pick him up bridal style. 

\--

By the time Dagger reached their apartment, Neil was back asleep in his arms and so after poking him to make sure he wouldn't wake up, Dagger went straight inside. Once Neil was safe on his bed, Dagger used his speed to do his usual post-saving-Neil routine, before entering his room again as Andrew - all traces of 'Dagger' gone.

It was weird seeing Neil like this; he looked so vulnerable and fragile. His smart-mouth and determined will to live broken. It hurt to think that anything could have happened whilst Neil was drugged and Andrew was still at the apartment, holding onto Neil's most-worn hoodie, trying to conjure his whereabouts in his mind.

Neil was here now. Safe.

Andrew called Aaron, who didn't seem to be worried but promised to come round after class to check up on him since Neil hated hospitals and he had an excelled medical knowledge. Then he kept watch over Neil for another half hour before he woke.

He silently stared back at Andrew for a long moment before glancing around at the rest of the room. "How did I get back here?" He tiredly asked.

"Dagger, I presume." Andrew replied. Fortunately, Neil didn't ask anymore questions meaning Andrew wouldn't have to feed him any lies. "Are you hurt?" Andrew asked, as usual, even though he already knew everything he need to.

"They didn't injure me at all. Just drugged me and abandoned me in a forest. It doesn't make any sense."

It didn't make any sense at all, Andrew agreed. He'd been trying to figure out the motives in this plan but had gotten nowhere. "How do you feel?"

"Tired." Neil said. "Groggy. My head just feels fuzzy but not aching anymore." He wasn't slurring anymore, Andrew noted, relieved.

"Aaron's coming over later. Maybe they were trying to overdose you on something and were hoping you'd die in the forest."

"I don't feel like I'm dying."

"I don't think you are." Andrew said, "But Aaron's going to make sure."

Neil let out a sigh and pulled at the covers under him until they were over him, then he rolled over in Andrew's direction. "Did you tell him to take my notes?"

"No." Andrew replied. "I was too busy trying to get ahold of you. What did that last message mean?"

Neil frowned up at him, the quilt pulled up to his chin. "What message?"

Andrew recited from memory, "They're not planning on killing me for a few more days yet."

"I sent that?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Neil pulled this covers up further so that only his eyes and mess of auburn curls could be seen. "I've just...been getting these messages..."

Andrew glared, the anger at being out of the loop surging within him. "What messages." He demanded.

"Well, it was a phone call first. The service area was Baltimore. It was Lola Malcolm, the one who taught me how to use knives and gave me many of my..." He trailed off. "She said that I'll be seeing my father really soon. That they've also found a way to make sure that Dagger doesn't intervene."

Andrew ignored the way his stomach twisted, focusing on Neil's words. 

"Then I got the texts. One every day. A countdown. It started on forty."

"And today?"

Neil swallowed. "Six."

Andrew knew his glare was heated, especially since Neil somehow buried himself further in the bed. "You should have told me."

Neil didn't reply to that, instead he shuffled away from Andrew to the other edge of the bed before pulling the corner of the covers back in offer. Andrew softened his glare before turning to sit beside Neil and slowly lying down, pulling the duvet over him. He pushed himself to the opposite end of the bed, turning to face Neil.

The taller boy smiled at Andrew, small and private. "There's no point telling you. You'll just worry, and what's the point of us both stressing out if you can't do anything? I just need you to be calm like always."

Andrew wanted to tell him that he was wrong. That he can help, and has done. That he was never calm when it came to Neil, from his racing heart whenever he was this close, his panic whenever he was gone, and his thoughts running a mile a minute right this second with all the different scenarios of what could happen in just five days. Instead he just nodded and listened to Neil as he changed the subject, telling a story about one of his classes, prior to the kidnapping, and waiting for Aaron to arrive.

\--

Four days later and Neil was still just as perplexed by the whole ordeal. He'd been through enough kidnaps to know that's not how the whole thing usually worked out. 

He had bigger things to worry about though. Like his quickly impending death.

Sometimes, leading up to the zero marker, Neil wished there was a way that he could contact Dagger. Just to give him a heads-up.

Not that it mattered. 

Neil had always known how it would all end for him. There was only the question of when. 

\--

On the day the countdown reached four, Andrew returned from his last class to find Neil sat on the floor, only a centimetre away from the door's opening space. His eyes were wide, but empty, and he was holding a gun in his hand. It was lucky that Neil hadn't pulled the trigger, but it was also lucky that it hadn't been anyone other than Andrew seeing as he didn't. 

"Neil," Andrew spoke, carefully. He held his hands where the other boy could clearly see them, slowly crouching down to his knees. Unresponsive, Andrew took the gun from his unresisting hands. Only after sliding it across the floor, away from them to deal with later, did Andrew move closer to Neil and place a hand on the back of his neck. 

Neil blinked, meeting Andrew's eyes. 

"You're Neil Abram Josten." Andrew recited. "You go to Palmetto State University. You live with me, Andrew Minyard. You're safe with me. Neil Abram Josten. PSU. You live with me, Andrew Minyard. Safe." Andrew repeated it and repeated it until Neil mouthed the words along with him and pressed his head against Andrew's left shoulder, letting out a sigh. 

"Sorry."

"Don't." Andrew pressed a small kiss amidst his curls that Neil probably didn't even notice. "I've got you."

\--

It was midday when the fire alarm went off.

Neil was in one of the college’s STEM buildings, not listening to his mathematics lesson, staring out the window and the countdown glaring a ‘2’ on his phone. 

With a put-upon sigh, Neil gathered his things and followed the hurried crowd out into the chaotic hallways. The university had never practiced emergency procedures with them, only pointing out fire escapes and assembly points during induction, and so it appeared that the students had ascended into an ‘every man for themselves’ mindset as they herded through the corridors. Neil took a deep breath before pushing his way in.

He kept one side of his body against the wall; with his size he was sure to be trampled if he was in the midst of the student body mass. That was a mistake he wouldn’t realise until too late.

All the doors were open, due to the panic, so Neil barely glanced at one of the many he passed. Not until a hand shot out, grasping the hood of his jacket and pulling him backwards into the room, pushing him to the ground. 

Someone climbed onto his lap, pushing his shoulders harshly down to the floor as someone else slammed the door, locking them in. 

“Hello, Junior,” A sickly, familiar voice sneered, pushing her face close to his own, practically laying on him. “Did you miss me? I know I missed you.”

Lola Malcolm. Which probably meant…

Yes. To one side of him stood Romero, Jackson keeping guard at the door.

“I’d comment on how big you’ve gotten but you haven’t really have you?” She cackled, as though her short joke would hurt him more than the knife that she tucked against his jaw. Her eyes scanned over him greedily. “It’ll be a shame to cut up such a pretty face.”

Neil didn’t reply - wouldn’t play along - but he didn’t fight either. He could do without a bullet in his head. The fire alarm was still blaring and a million thoughts were running through his head with things his father would do to him and the reckless things he could do to escape.

“Don’t even think about it, Nathaniel,” Lola continued, smirking as she lightly dragged the knife down and across his throat. “You can try to run away, of course. Maybe you’ll escape again. But what did that cost you last time?”

Beach. Blood. Fire. Bones.

“You’ve made some lovely friends here. Who is it that you’re particularly fond of? Andrew Minyard?”

Nathaniel gritted his teeth in an attempt to dispel the nausea that erupted from the fearful twist in his gut. “Leave him out of this.”

Lola’s smirk grew, “There you are.” The knife was trailing down, not yet making any cuts but still sharp enough to cause an uncomfortable prick. “What does he know?”

“Nothing,” Nathaniel swore, “ _Nothing._ ”

“How can I be sure?”

“You know my mother,” He pleaded, “I stuck to her rules, I didn’t tell anyone _anything._ ”

Lola hummed in thought, “What do you think, Romero?”

“I think we might as well make sure,” His voice holding only venom.

Nathaniel braced himself for the knife to pierce his skin, but instead it was pulled away.

“Don’t get too excited, Junior. I prefer to have our fun in privacy.”

Lola’s knee pressed against him lifted just as Jackson and Romero were at his side, pulling him to his feet and holding him tight. He lost sight of Lola, but quickly located her with the cold press of a gun to his back. “You run, I shoot. I’m sure just your corpse will do for your father, especially if I give him your little friend as a consolation prize. Move it.”

They went out of the window to a secluded side of the building, where a sleek black car awaited. Fire engines sounded closeby. Nathaniel was manhandled into the passenger seat, Lola behind him, quickly handcuffing his wrists within his reach.

“Where to?” Romero mocked from the drivers seat.

“Baltimore.” Lola replied. She leaned in until her mouth brushed his ear. “Home.”

She leaned back again, pulled out the knife and then all of his coherent thoughts were gone, replaced by nothing but pain.

\--

Andrew’s sociology class was interrupted by the fire alarm which would usually annoy him, as unlike the excited or nervous students around him, Andrew found the whole ordeal boring and, if anything, tiresome.

The only reason Andrew bothered to actually get up and leave was the fact that Neil would also be leaving the same building and so would be there to greet him outside.

Even in the panic, students knew better than to barge past Andrew, yet still some outliers remained. Andrew made sure to shove them into the mass of students harshly, hoping they would be trampled.

Neil wasn’t outside.

Andrew always insisted on taking the ten minute drive from their apartment to campus by car, and Neil knew where he usually parked the car even though the idiot insisted on running there. Neil would meet him at his car.

Andrew didn’t think too much about his absence. Maybe he’d seen Allison, or Matt or someone and decided to stay with them. Maybe he’d forgotten Andrew would be in the building with him at this time.

Two hours later and the firefighters were finally leaving the building, explaining that there was no fire and none of the smoke detectors had been triggered.

The fire alarm had been pulled.

A little more determined than before, Andrew searched for Neil, venturing into the - lighter now - crowds to find him. Then he moved further out, checking the outskirts where individuals stood, or sat, alone doing mindless tasks such as reading or messing on their phones as they waited to re-enter the building.

No Neil.

He didn’t bother moving somewhere unseen, just doing a quick glance to be sure no one was watching, before using his speed to ‘zoom’ back to the apartment. Within a second the disguise was back on and he held Neil’s hoodie, the one he’d been wearing only this morning, firmly in his hands, willing himself to find his location. 

He was already at least 150 miles away. 

Dagger’s senses sprung into action. The sound of an engine. The smell of smoke. The feeling of heat. The sight of red.

The hoodie fell from his hands, Dagger immediately putting distance between it and himself.

This didn’t make sense. They still had more time - days.

There was no time to question it. Only sparing time to take one more breath, Dagger sped out of the apartment, the building and Palmetto.

\--

“It was really quite easy,” Lola was purring on, in between questioning him on things he couldn’t think well enough to answer safely throughout the never-ending, immense pain. “All it took was staging a kidnap. Leaving you drugged up and abandoned in the forest, to figure out who Dagger was.” Nathaniel couldn’t see the state she’d made of his arms but the way she carved into the slashes she’d already made suggested that she’d already run out of room. Still, the throbbing of his burnt flesh upon his cheek hurt more. “Who would’ve known that it was someone you had known all along?”

Nathaniel tried to focus on her words but it was no use. No matter what he tried to think about, his thoughts were always thrown back to the hurt.

“That's how he always knew where you were, you see? Why he was able to find you. All it took was to set up a countdown, then take you before the time was up. By bringing his guard up ready to protect you at the zero, he was putting his guard now leading up to it. A perfectly timed fire alarm and...here you are! Your father shall be more proud of me then he ever was with you.” Seemingly bored of the same canvas, Lola found a new one; she pressed the point of her knife against his shoulder, cutting lightly. “I wonder if he’ll like you better as nothing but a lifeless c-” 

Romero yelled, the car jerked and they crashed into...something. Nathaniel didn’t know what because his eyes were firmly shut in pain, Lola’s knife lodging itself through his shoulder with the impact and then pulled out again as she flew forward.

He pulled them open, breathing heavily. Lola was partly on him and partly on the dashboard, having flown forward as she’d already been leaning between the two front seats. The glass had shattered, pieces in Lola’s hair, possibly her face too, not that he could see from this angle, and also Romero, who was covered in blood, unconscious against the window to his left. He couldn’t see Jackson from here, but he heard the back door open and his surprised yell.

Nathaniel shut his eyes again, his breath quickening as the door beside him opened next, hands reaching in messing with the cuffs that had cut dangerously into his wrists, being the only thing that had stopped him from having the same fate as Lola.

Soon, the cuffs were off and a warm hand was holding the unburnt side of his face, turning it towards them. “Neil?” A voice asked, stern and demanding. “Speak to me.”

Nathaniel couldn’t speak. He was in too much pain to think clearly and couldn’t risk giving up any information about Andrew, or his friends.

“ _Neil._ ” They urged, sounding panicked as they now had both hands on his face, avoiding the damage, trying to wake him up.

Nathaniel opened his eyes, blinking at the masked figure.

“You need to breathe,” Dagger urged, a hand holding the back of his neck, firm and grounding. “Neil, stop.”

Something wasn’t right, other than Nathaniel not being able to catch his breath, because Dagger never sounded like this. 

“I can’t move you until you breathe, and trust me you want to see at least Aaron right now. Neil, come back to me.”

Nathaniel shook his head, “I...I can’t…” He managed to gasp out, only to cause his breathing to quicken even further.

“Fuck,” Dagger muttered, before using the hand not on Nathaniel’s neck, to reach towards his own face. In one swift motion, the mask was removed, revealing hazel eyes and messed-up, blonde hair. “Then come back to _me._ ”

“Drew,” Nathaniel gasped, granting him a deep intake of breath.

Andrew scowled, putting his hand back on his cheek. “Keep breathing. You’re doing it.”

Nothing made sense. Yet, he was. Doing it. Within a matter of seconds, Neil was back to his senses. Unfortunately, that also meant the pain. 

“I’m getting you out of this car.” Andrew said, already shoving Lola’s body to the other side of the car and pulling Neil up, into his arms. He stood upright holding Neil bridal-style, he freezing when Neil uncontrollably yelled out in pain. “Neil?” He questioned, fear leaking into his voice.

“My shoulder,” Neil winced, “She stabbed it.”

“Do you think you’ll be okay until we get home?”

_Home._

Neil hummed, closing his eyes, “I think so.”

“Don’t go to sleep,” Andrew told him, but he barely made it through the sentence before he’d drifted off.

\--

“He needs to go to the hospital, Andrew.” Aaron urged. He was on his knees beside the couch that Neil was lying motionless upon, carefully holding a blood-stained cloth against the stab wound. “This is way out of my league. This is way out of _anyone’s_ league.”

“This isn’t my decision,” Andrew repeated.

“Yeah, well it won’t be his either if he fucking bleeds out and dies. And these burns on his face - they need treating. These knife slashes are going to get infected. Not to mention he was in a fucking car crash, he may have a head injury and he is now _unconscious._ ” Aaron twisted to look at Andrew. “He could die without professional medical attention.”

Andrew ran a hand through his hair, pacing around the room before stopping behind the couch, looking down at Neil’s abused face. “His father is still out there. He will have more men than the three I killed.”

“You said they were on their way to Baltimore right? It’ll be hours before they even suspect something has gone wrong. We’re wasting time.”

Andrew met Aaron’s eyes. “I’m not leaving him.”

Aaron scoffed, “I figured that was a given.”

\--

When Neil woke up, Andrew wasn’t with him. 

Instead he was in a hospital room, hooked up to machines he didn’t understand the purpose of and two FBI agents standing by his bed.

“Neil Josten,” One of the Agents greeted smugly as soon as he was aware of Neil’s consciousness. “Or rather, Nathaniel Wesninski?”

Neil tried to hide his flinch. “It’s Neil.”

“I’m Agent Browning,” The other suited man introduced, “This is Agent Towns and we’re here to make you a deal.”

“Where’s Andrew?” Neil frowned. He wouldn’t have left him here.

“You have bigger concerns right now, I assure you, son.” Browning told him. “Shall we start with the fake IDs first or the information on your father?”

“That’s a pretty shit deal.”

“The deal,” Towns cut in, “Is simple. It also leans in your favour. You tell us everything you know about your father: his circle, his connections, his whereabouts - everything. In return we expel all of your offences. You live out your life with a new identity and we provide Witness Protection.”

Neil scoffed, shooting him one of his most slicing grins, ignoring the pain in his cheek. “Shove your protection where the sun doesn’t shine. If I tell you anything they’ll kill me.”

“It looks like you’re already heading in that direction anyway.” Browning stated.

Neil could see his point on that one.

“At least this way,” Towns continued, “You have a shot. A shot at Nathan being taken down and you being able to live your life. Have a second chance.”

“I don’t want your protection. And I wish to remain as Neil Josten.”

“That’s suicidal,” Towns remarked.

“It’s also my choice.” He swallowed, “And I want to see Andrew before we begin.” He cut them off before they could decline, “I just nearly fucking died. Let me see my friend.”

The two of them shared conflicting glances, but Towns was the one to decide. “Twenty minutes. Then we begin.”

\--

It had been an unidentifiable amount of time since they had arrived at the hospital, but it had definitely been several hours.

It had all happened so quickly - the doctors, the police, Neil being taken from him, Andrew lashing out, being handcuffed in the waiting room and then - stillness. 

Time had frozen in an ongoing circuit of a second. 

Andrew imagined that this must be what it’s like to be the eye of a storm. He dismissed the idea as stupid, as it would suggest that he was in anyway calm. 

Eventually the pigs returned and Andrew was threatened, uncuffed and taken back to Neil. 

\--

Andrew didn't speak to Neil within the first ten minutes, opting to sit next to him on the bed, facing Neil, and survey the damage. Familiar hands methodically teared back the bandages, assessed and pressed them back. The last place he looked was Neil’s hands, keeping hold of the one closest to him after inspection, before turning his apathetic stare to the wall behind Neil’s head.

Like this, Neil wondered how he had ever missed the connection between him and Dagger.

The silence was too much. Neil had things he needed to discuss and they were running out of time. “I’m sorry.”

“ _Don’t._ ” Andrew replied, firmly, tightening his grip on Neil’s hand briefly and meeting his eyes again. “I will kill you.”

Neil pushed away the snarky remark on the tip of his tongue. “Thank you.”

Andrew’s glare only darkened further.

“Not just for today. But for all the others, too.” He smiled self-consciously, “If I’d have known you were- that it was you, then I wouldn’t have been such a dick about it.”

“Yes you would have,” Andrew replied, before looking down at their hands.

“Does Aaron know?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes.”

“Nicky?”

“Of course not. If he did, so would have you, along with the rest of the world.”

Neil scoffed, diverting his attention to the clock. “Andrew.” He looked back at him. “The pigs made me a deal. I have to tell them all about my father and his circle if I want to be expelled from the charges I’ve racked up whilst on the run. They want me to change my identity. Go into Witness Protection. I’ll tell them yes if you don’t want my trouble anymore.”

“Neil-”

“No, Andrew I-” He looked down at his hand, wrapped up in bandages and Andrew’s firm grip. “You’ve done so much for me. You don’t need to.”

“I made a promise to protect you.”

Neil frowned, thinking back over their time that they’ve known each other. Andrew must have seen his confusion because he elaborated.

“Not to you.”

It didn’t take Neil long to realise that Andrew was talking about himself. “But...why?” He asked, bemused.

Andrew brought his other hand up towards Neil, burying his fingers in the mess of his curls with a rare gentleness. “Because I hate you,” Andrew said, and leaned down to kiss him, pulling away within a few seconds, before Neil’s brain had caught up enough to engage. “And because I can.”

\--

Neil was pouting again. It was beautiful in a ‘I want to punch this’ kind of way and irritatingly effective. Fortunately, Andrew could be very stubborn when he wanted to be.

“No.”

“You already said we could!” Neil pleaded. He lay across the couch, haphazardly leaning up to watch Andrew prepare the popcorn in the kitchen over the back of the couch. 

Andrew took the packet out of the microwave, opened it and poured it’s contents into the bowl. “That was before you cited your intentions as being a ‘learning experience’.”

“Who else are you going to get pointers from other than Deadpool?”

Andrew ignored that question in favour of joining Neil, who carefully maneuvered himself to make room. It had only been a few days since they came home following the whole kidnapping ordeal and Neil’s scars looked angrier than they did shortly after the incident. Neil didn’t appear to be bothered by them, allowing them to have some air for a while before bed. It’s not like the guy ever looked at his reflection anyway and he was just happy to be alive.

Andrew wondered if his content would change when he had to brave classes again.

Neil grinned when Andrew turned on the film, leaning towards Andrew’s side in question. He replied by hooking his arm around Neil’s holding his hand and allowing Neil to rest his head on his shoulder. The way Neil was slouched made Andrew appear taller. 

They had always been close - closer than Andrew would ever let anyone else get to him - but lately something had changed. From the revelation of Andrew’s commitment to keeping Neil safe along with the kiss in the hospital, Andrew knew that even someone as oblivious as Neil must be able to connect the dots.

Neil solved the issue like a math problem - adding his own feelings into the equations.

There was no discussion about it. Just a quiet, “Yes, or no?” whispered from Neil as they lay close on Andrew’s bed (his hand tucked under Neil’s pillow in fear that he would blink and the boy would be gone again). Andrew didn’t reply at first, needing something more specific. He pressed his thumb to Neil’s lips, pulling away when Neil kissed it to replace it with his own lips.

There had been a lot of kisses since then, but nothing more so far.

Heated kisses, soft kisses, rushed kisses, brief kisses, slow kisses.

They touched each other more. Innocent affection that neither had experienced before, like now as Neil rubbed his thumb across Andrew’s hand and Andrew once again messed with auburn curls.

As much as it went against everything Andrew believed in, he figured he could get used to this.

\--

“What. The. _Fuck._ ” Allison hissed as Neil dropped into the seat beside her.

He stalled answering by strategically pulling out each of his equipment from his bag, ignoring Allison’s expectant glare.

It was a few moments later that Matt looked up from the other side of him from the essay he was halfway through, despite it being due this lesson. The gasp was somehow more audible than Allison’s entire sentence.

“ _Neil._ Have you seen your _face_?”

Neil rolled his eyes, aiming for nonchalance. “No, Matt. I didn’t notice the fuckery of my face.”

Neither of them were amused. 

“I’ll repeat my earlier question. _What the fuck_?!”

Neil sighed, “Look, I’m fine. I was just kidnapped and the FBI turned up but my dad is in prison now so he won’t be able to try and kill me for a while now, and I don’t think the Japanese Mafia will do anything stupid right now.”

He glanced between both of their dumbfounded faces. They took turns trying to say something, anything, before Allison finally caved.

“There’s just so much to unpack there that I don’t know where to start.”

“Yeah, man, you could have started with something a little easier to comprehend.” Matt agreed.

Neil thought it over. “I’m dating Andrew Minyard.”

They were both simultaneously silent for three seconds before bursting out laughing, each of them repeatedly declaring how that was the most unbelievable thing he’d said so far.

Neil smiled to himself, ignoring their mocking and jabs at both him and Andrew to pull out his phone following it’s quiet buzz.

There was one message.

**Drew - hurry up with whatever mind-numbing lesson youre in. im ordering that shit take out you like for when you get back and ive bought extra toothpaste so i cant fucking smell it when i kiss you.**

Neil reread the text until their teacher arrived, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

The smile on his face wasn’t his father’s and it wasn’t Nathaniel’s.

It was Neil Josten’s because he was alive.

He was alive, he had friends and he had Andrew.

Most of all - he was happy.

**Author's Note:**

> This took me way too long to write! I started it at the beginning of quarantine in March and then because of the the whole spicy pandemic and starting college, it got abandoned BUT I'm so happy to finally share it with you all! I hope it was enjoyed :)


End file.
